MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Freshman libero Allegra Rivas tallied 23 digs but the Maryland volleyball team (10-4, 1-1 B1G) fell to No. 7 Minnesota (8-2, 2-0 B1G) in three sets (19-25, 19-25, 18-25) on Saturday evening.
 
"Thought we started pretty well tonight and had one of our better blocking performances," said head coach Adam Hughes. "We ran into a team with title aspirations that is playing great volleyball. Excited about our young team and how we'll continue to improve match by match."
 
Maryland produced a solid defensive performance, holding the Gophers to only a .252 clip while notching nine team blocks and digging 49 balls. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Katie Myers had a match-high five blocks while freshman outside hitter Emma Schriner totaled four and freshman middle blocker had three.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Erika Pritchard led Maryland with 11 kills while sophomore setter Nicole Alford had 28 assists.
 
Maryland started off strong, winning three straight points on three of their five blocks in the set by Schriner, Myers and senior outside hitter Liz Twlley to go up 3-1 in the first set. The set remained tight throughout, with no team leading by more than four points early. Down 16-15, the Terps rattled off three straight, again by blocks from Alford and Myers to take a 18-16 lead. The Gophers scored nine out of the last 10 points in the set to take it 25-19.
 
Minnesota won the second set by the same score. Rivas tallied nine digs to keep Maryland in points, but the Terps went down early and could not fully recover. The Terps fought back to within two points at 10-8 and then 19-17, but Minnesota finished the set like they started it.
 
Schriner and Myers each totaled two blocks in the third set as Maryland fell 25-18. Pritchard had a strong frame, hitting .667 with no attack errors and Alford assisted on all 12 kills.
 
Now 1-1 in Big Ten play, the Terps will return home to the Pavilion for two matches this week. On Wednesday, Maryland will welcome No. 16 Purdue and on Saturday, Maryland will face Ohio State.